Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-12-06

yell,@ and with this wise and thoughtful
back part of the wagon and the party drove
on TO his fathers house. II was an old
fashioned, one story white house connected
with the barn by an ell. in which were the
kitchen and woodshed. The exterior of the
place was more inviting than the interior.
No one would have supposed that $50, 900.
for this was the amount which the Bennett
family claim TO have been stolen. had ever
been stored away here. The walls were dingy
and bare and the papering worn away in
large patches. Ii was the home OF a man
whose God had evidently been Mammon for
many years. The bed room of the old man
opened off the kitchen. warm, open fire
was blazing on the hearth, and revealed the
wounded man in the bed surrounded bv a
large number of relatives. lis wa. feeling
quite comfortable anu spoke of the robbery
more quietly than any of the others. He
was cut considerably about the head He
will recover.
George Patten, the brave son-in-law. was
there with his young wife. He did not look
like very good man to depend upon in any
emergency which required nerve. He was
an irresolute looking fellow, small of stature
and meek of countenance. In reply TO the
reporters inquiries, he said
II woke up and heard Uncle Peter veil
ing. Then heard thump if somebody
were falling, | got up and started for his
room when | heard pistol shots. That
scared me and jumped out of the window
and went to arouse the neighbors.'
Yes" said Frank, the only thing
blame George for is in not going to the old
mans assistance, especially when he had
three---yes, three--loaded rifles in his
room.
The scribe agreed that George appeared at
fault there.
DO you see that bullet hole:" continued
the talkative Frank, pointing to hole in the
ceiling above the bed. That's where one
ball went. The other one went there"
pointing TO a hole i'll the wall near the head
OF the bed.
Where's the trunk" asked the scribe.
There it is" answered Frank. pointing
under a table at the foot of the bed. And
tlht just where III was Nntn III was taken.
The lock of the trunk was smashed off and
it bore evidence of pretty hard usage Open
ing it Frank took out two little trunks and
showed them. This" he said, exhibiting
to the reporter a trunk about lsxl2 and about
inches deep, was full of bills The
other'--which was about l4xS---''was moth
er's. The were 50 900 in that"
Not so much as that interposed the old
well pretty close up to it. insisted
Frank.
Well the whole thing amounted TO $50
900 at least.
Did you recover the notes."
Yes, the greater part of them My wife
found note today against DIR. Porter of
Newport for 81 500 about forty rods from
the house. think we have now about two
thirds of the notes.
Which way the trunk taken"
"Out here" interposed pattcn the brave
son-in-law and taking the lantern he led the
scribe through the kitchen into the wood
shed to a door opening out into the orchard
at the back side of the house.
The trunk was carried out here. he said.
As the door was secured by only small
hasp, there seemed little to prevent a trunk
from gong III VI oui. NohtihulhS lnNu tht
barn the '.son-in-hw" pointed the scribe to
the door, which was partly open.
That's the way it most always is" he
said.
Cant you fasten it,
"No, the hasp is off and We haven't put
one on yet"
You think that the thieves came in here.
them"
eyes, they must have
They broke in the other doors, them:
No, they were not fastened"
"Do You mean to say there was free pas
sage from outside into the room where all
that money was kept without lock or bolt
to interfere:"
''Well, that's about the size of it," There
is one other peculiar thing about this, he
added.
What's that"
The dog never barked at all during that
whole time
Returning to the room where the wounded
man lay on the high, old-fashoned bed,
built years ago, sufficiently high for the
children to sleep beneath in "A trunde bed,
about his recollection of the parties, their
form. the sound of their voices, etc, to the
apparent discomforture of the son, who has
tened to interpose with the remark, My
daughter can answer that sir" The young
lady then said that last Wednesday swathy
looking stranger had come to the house.
He laid in the room before the open fire
place and closely scrutinized every object in
it. He then passed ont into the kitchen, into
the shed, out the back door down through
the orchard and disappeared.
That's one of the fellows that done ths?"
exclaimed Frank. tOh, if | only had him
here" You may say, Mr. Reporter if you
like" interposed the old man, that | offer
reward of $1,000 for the capture Of
the party who assaulted me, or
$4,000 for the return of the money.
As the scribe drove home he recalled with
a feeling of conviction remark which he
had heard prominent citizen make in the
depot If were the officer | should not
90 a great ways from the scene of the rob-
berry for the rogues."